Alpha’s Substitute Bride

4

NYLA

Where on Earth is he?" I muttered under my breath, checking " my watch for the umpteenth time. The ceremony was supposed to have started at noon; it was now 1:15 pm, and there was still no sign of Aaron. The band had been playing for almost two hours now, and the priest's pacing was an indication that he was running out of patience, which was understandable – rumor had it that the man was almost a hundred years old.

I myself was also getting tired of the wait. This dress was unnecessarily heavy, and the lacey part of the lower dress touching my skin was itchy and beginning to irritate me.

I wondered what could be taking Aaron so long; it definitely wasn't makeup or fixing his hair, because I did all that and still made it on time.

The escort stayed in the waiting room with me for a while, but I could tell he was getting bored, and I saved him from the torture by dismissing him. However, as soon as he left the room, I became uncomfortable and anxious – my mind running in a million directions at the same time. I needed to be distracted, so despite the escort's direction, I walked out of the room.

"Serena," someone said with a commanding tone that startled me. I had been so lost in my thoughts to notice anyone approaching. I turned to see a tall man staring down at me. His muscular arms hugged the sleeves of his shirt tightly, begging to be noticed; he had the stormiest grey eyes and jet-black hair. His face was clear of even a strand of facial hair.

I had never met Alpha Aaron, and for a split second, I thought he was the one. I was about to go off on him about his tardiness until I saw the mark peeking out from the sleeve of his shirt – he was a Beta.

"I'm Noah, Beta of the Blue Moon Pack," he said impassively, almost like he was bored by just being here. It seemed like no one in this pack had even as little as a pinch of cheerfulness or warmth in them.

"We will begin the ceremony in a minute; be ready," he added definitively before walking into the hall. I had a few questions and even some objections, but he walked in so fast that I didn't get the chance to get a word out.

"Jerk!" I hissed under my breath, as I adjusted my dress, bracing myself to walk into the room full of people and perform the marriage rites with Alpha Aaron, who was still nowhere in sight.

"And now, it is time to seal this union with the blood pact," the priest said, causing me to look around the hall. This was the most important and the last part of the marriage rite, and Alpha Aaron was still nowhere to be found.

The hall was silent with everyone looking around just like me, probably also wondering where Alpha Aaron was. Whispers began to erupt from different parts of the room, making me feel even more irritated by the entire ordeal. It was clear the people of this pack didn't like me, and Aaron's absence at this wedding was only going to send a loud message of encouragement to his pack members.

We were all still looking around when suddenly, Beta Noah walked up to the altar where the priest and I stood and brought out a vial. "From Alpha Aaron," he said, pouring the content of the vial, which I assumed was Alpha Aaron's blood, into the bowl where our bloods were supposed to be mixed for the pact.

'You've got to be kidding me.' I tsked. Getting stood up on a date was one type of embarrassment, but getting stood up on your wedding day, that was a different level of embarrassing. It was becoming increasingly obvious that he had no regard for anyone; how could he ditch an event where the crème-de-la-crème of some of the most powerful packs, including other Alphas, were seated?

I could not afford to seem affected by this, so I looked away from the crowd and back to the priest, handing him my left hand. I held my wrist, and in one smooth motion, he used a little blade to make a cut on my palm, causing blood to spill into the bowl.

The priest said some words, and the mixture of my blood and Aaron's began glowing; the ritual was done.

This was one of the most important moments in my life, and yet I felt so alone; no groom by my side, no parents sitting on the first row cheering for me or crying happy tears. I didn't even have friends who could share this sacred moment with me. I was in a room surrounded by strangers throwing disdainful gazes my way. It felt like a crack in my heart, but I couldn't show weakness, so I kept my head up high as the band resumed playing celebratory music.

'I'm going to kill him,' I thought to myself, walking out of the chapel amidst the cheerful noises and celebrations happening. He really ditched his own wedding and made me look desperate.

Who's gonna rock you when the sun won't let you sleep?

Who's waking up to drive you home, when you're drunk and all alone?

Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning?

It ain't me

I sang along happily with the music from the speakers as I got out of the bathtub. It was nighttime, and all the activities had mellowed down significantly. The celebration after the wedding ceremony was overwhelming, and Aaron's absence only made the whispers, gossip, and judging eyes from the members of the Blue Moon pack multiply. They did not even try to mask their hostility and refusal to accept me as one of them. I was happy to be over with it and finally able to get some rest.

I kept singing and dancing in the bathroom while putting on my pajamas when the music stopped playing abruptly.

'Weird,' I thought to myself, hurriedly adjusting my nightwear before rushing out of the bathroom.

"What the hell?!"

"Who the f**k are you?!"

The man and I yelled simultaneously.

I looked up at him; he was very tall, taller than Noah. The room was dimly lit, so I couldn't really tell the color of his eyes. If earlier today I thought Noah's body was well sculptured, then I wouldn't know what to call the man standing before me, shirtless might I add. There was a little dragon tattoo on his left chest which complemented his body. He had one of those bodies that naturally demanded attention; no one would ever question the fact that he worked out. The chisel lines on his abdomen could be seen despite the room's dim lighting, and these lines ran all the way down to his lower belly where they formed a V-shape.

'Focus Nyla,' I cautioned myself before my thoughts could wander in all the wrong directions.

"Who are you?" I asked firmly.

The man moved away from my Bluetooth speaker – well, now I knew why my music stopped abruptly – and began pacing slowly around the room before unexpectedly bursting into a fit of chuckles. I watched carefully, not sure what to expect, but preparing myself to fight if this was some weirdo about to attempt killing me.

"Being in my room and asking me who I am is a very bold thing to do," the man said, and the moment his words registered in my head, the dots began connecting themselves. He was Alpha Aaron.

I felt multiple emotions in that moment, but the two most overwhelming feelings were fear and anger; fear because everyone knew he was ruthless and, for all it's worth, he could snap my neck in a millisecond, and no one would challenge him. And of course, I was angry; this asshole skipped his own wedding for only the goddess knows what, and I had to look stupid in that white flowy dress all day long.

"At least it's less disrespectful than skipping your wedding with no regard for your guests and bride," I retorted before I could stop myself.

I didn't need to look up at Aaron to know that I had ticked him off, and the low growl I heard was enough confirmation of my suspicions; he was pissed.

In one swift movement, he was right in front of me. "Tell me again, what is your name..." he said, placing his hand under my chin as he lifted my head up to look at him. The rumors had been true; his eyes had no warmth. They were dead but held so much rage and coldness in them.

Rumor also had it that he was prone to losing control, to slipping into fits of deadly rage. He was the Alpha who had claimed countless lives, his temper volatile and untamable. No one could last a single round against him, and everyone was waiting for the day his fury would consume him entirely.

"N...Serena," I answered, hoping he wouldn't pick up on my almostslip.

"My name is Serena," I repeated more confidently.

"Serenaaaa," Aaron dragged, almost as if he was testing my name on his lips. He moved even closer to me than he was before and held my face firmly between his fingers.

"It seems no one has told you about me," he murmured, his voice a chilling whisper. "I don't tolerate disrespect. You are here to fulfill the role of my Luna, and with that comes certain... expectations." I couldn't explain why, but this made my blood boil. First, he skips our wedding, making things with his pack members more awkward for me, then he stops my music while I was having 'me-time,' and now his hand - that only goddess knows what he had used it for was holding my face, which was probably going to mess up all the skincare I had just done.

Oh, and let's not forget him instructing one of the servants to tell me not to sleep before he arrives. I checked the clock, and the time was 11:46pm.

'How dare he!' My wolf hurled, just as irritated as I was.

"If you want my respect, you'll have to earn it," I hissed, pushing his hand away from my face. His eyes widened, and I saw his lips open slightly before shutting back up; it was obvious that he was shocked by my response to his threat. I could just tell that no one had ever stood up to him.

"Maybe you can start by apologizing for the stunt you pulled at the wedding ceremony today," I continued, not caring that his eyes held fire. Despite how furious he was, I knew he could not kill me, at least not if the blood used for the marriage pact was his. It bound us together so I could not die by his hands, else he would be harmed and cursed by the Moon Goddess and vice versa.

I was about to continue my rant, but before I could even let out a word, my back was slammed against the wall and Aaron's hand was wrapped around my neck. I could feel him squeezing tighter with every passing second. It seems I spoke too fast about him not being able to kill.

"Let this be the first and last time you talk to me with that tone," he growled.

"Is that clear?"

I wasn't sure if he expected me to respond since his hands were still wrapped around my neck and I was barely breathing. So, I simply nodded my head affirmatively. His grip on my neck loosened completely, and I crumbled to the ground, coughing furiously from the brief air shortage.

There was a satisfied smirk on his face which made me chuckle internally; if he thinks his little show of power was enough to scare me off, he had no idea what was coming his way. Living with Melona had prepared me for the worst, and I was determined to put up a fight, at least until I got what I wanted. My eyes were on the prize, and a little intimidation wouldn't stop me.